Photocatalyst enabled flexible polymeric optical fiber system

Abstract

A coated optical fiber includes a polymeric side-emitting optical fiber, a cladding along a length of the polymeric side-emitting optical fiber, an electrically conductive nanomaterial in contact with the cladding, and a coating over the cladding. The coating includes a photocatalyst.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coated optical fiber comprising:
 a polymeric side-emitting optical fiber;   a cladding along a length of the polymeric side-emitting optical fiber;   an electrically conductive nanomaterial in contact with the cladding; and   a coating over the cladding, wherein the coating comprises a photocatalyst.   
     
     
         2 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric side-emitting optical fiber comprises an acrylic polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 2 , wherein the acrylic polymer comprises poly(methyl methacrylate). 
     
     
         4 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the cladding comprises a fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         5 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 4 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises polyvinylidene fluoride. 
     
     
         6 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises indium tin oxide. 
     
     
         7 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive nanomaterial is in the form of nanoparticles. 
     
     
         8 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the coating is porous. 
     
     
         9 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst comprises a perovskite. 
     
     
         10 . The coated optical fiber of  claim 9 , wherein the perovskite comprises tris(tetramethylammonium bromide) dibismuth heptabromo diioide. 
     
     
         11 . The optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst comprises titania. 
     
     
         12 . The optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst comprises a modified strontium titanate. 
     
     
         13 . The optical fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst is embedded in an ionomer. 
     
     
         14 . The optical fiber of  claim 13 , wherein the ionomer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene-based fluoropolymer copolymer. 
     
     
         15 . A reactor comprising:
 one or more of the optical fibers of  claim 1 ; and   one or more light sources, each one of the one or more light sources optically coupled to at least one of the one or more of the optical fibers.   
     
     
         16 . The reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the light source comprises concentrated sunlight, a light-emitting diode, or a laser. 
     
     
         17 . The reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the light source is configured to provide ultraviolet radiation to the at least one of the one or more of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The reactor of  claim 17 , wherein the ultraviolet radiation is selected to photo-induce exciton generation in the photocatalyst. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making the coated optical fiber of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 polishing a polymeric side-emitting optical fiber; and   coating the polymeric side-emitting optical fiber with a mixture comprising a photocatalyst.   
     
     
         20 . A method of treating organic pollutants, the method comprising:
 contacting one or more of the coated optical fibers of  claim 1  with an aqueous solution comprising an organic pollutant;   irradiating the photocatalyst with a light source, thereby generating reactive oxygen species; and   oxidizing the organic pollutant with the reactive oxygen species.